Stained Cross
by chibi milktea
Summary: [IchiRuki] it is often said that forbiden fruit tasted the best... XD it started when an art curator Kuchiki Rukia met a certain Kurosaki Ichigo... stupid summary... XD
1. Mistake

**Stained Cross**

**-Chapter I: Mistake-**

**A/N:** My friends dared me to write about a certain theme... and it has to be serious... sigh... damn it... I just don't feel like doing it even though there's money at stake here... this is based on a true story that my friend narrated to me... Characters might be OOC.. but please spare some time. This will not take long... This chapter of the fic wasn't properly proofread...

**Important Disclaimer:** I don't own bleach and this will be applied for the future chappies. It pains me a lot when I do this, you know?

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A vein cracked at the perimeter of Kuchiki Rukia's lips. She had been standing and talking for almost an hour now and yet a certain someone was showing a very galling and insulting disposition—repudiating to listen to her lecture.

It would be fine for her if nobody pays attention—if she would talk about some stupid claptrap... blabbering about ludicrous and absurd stuffs which would make someone rise his or her eyebrow... but she knew she wasn't. In fact, she had done a lot of research just to make her lecture today worth listening. A kind of 'lecture' that would make **EVERY**one focus their attention to her... but she was wrong... sort of...

Kuchiki Rukia was an art curator slash famous appreciator of spiritual books. She had been in that kind of business ever since she graduated from a famous university. She was pretty and full of wit—a kind of someone that can _almost_ be referred to as 'drool-worthy.'

Because of her reputable repute, she was invited as a guess speaker to give her points of view on values on an opening of a private high school. She was of course honored and pleasured... and flattered to be invited and to be able to share her views to the youths—imparting her knowledge.

She was grinning the whole time, pleased at the amused expressions of the students. After giving a pause, she continued to walk, side by side. She was trying not to be idle until she noticed a boy looking indolently at the space behind her left shoulder. His eyes seemed impassive as he tapped his pen almost silently at his desk.

She was appalled to see the student. He was wearing red polo (first three buttons were unfastened) and black slacks that made contrary from the other's uniform which was white polo and navy blue slacks.

Rukia tried not to grimace at the boy's appearance. Not that he looked bad or something. It was just that, she thought that the student must be a 'rule breaker' because of the way he acted, the way he dressed and the way he dyed his hair. She closed her eyes momentarily, fighting the urge not to do anything at the boy as she thought that his family might be powerful and rich for being accepted in that high school.

She involuntarily clenched her fists, crumpling slightly the papers she was holding. She despised how the rich ones think that they could all get away because of their money... and she wasn't afraid. She has overthrown many others who had tried to trample her but she was decided to let him pass.

The boy yawned.

Her eyes squinted as she immediately changed her mind.

"May I please call the attention of the boy over there with orange hair?" she said, straining her voice under control.

Knowing that he was the one the 'miss' was referring to, (he was the only one who has an extremely bright hair) the boy stood up, placing all his weight on his right leg.

"Yes?" the voice was hoarse, didn't sound like a high schooler anymore.

The boy sighed helplessly.

_Yeah. Curse my dammed hair for being so attention getting._

"Do you have any question, so far?" she asked, challenging, her eyes flickered dangerously.

There was a moment of silence—but not that long. The boy was probably fast on having a comeback with her, "What's the significance of your speech?" he asked, almost irritable.

That made Rukia pause for a moment. For someone who wasn't listening, it was surprising that he had a question for her. She was somewhat unprepared but she has been able to escape from his sly question. After all, she has been used to it; for many years now, she has encountered a hell a lot more difficult and cunning questions... she wouldn't allow a mere brat ruin her reputation.

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"Rukia-chan, nice lecture you had there," Inoue Orihime praised her ever so godly with a wide genuine smile as she slipped her arms around Rukia's.

"Thanks." Rukia said as she smiled back. "I'm glad it came out good," she checked her watch, but she found out that her watch run out of batteries several days ago and just wore it for the purpose of accessory. "What's the time?"

Inuoe took a quick look at her watch, "Quarter of two,"

Rukia blinked, fairly surprised that her lecture took that long.

"So that's why I'm starving!" she decided to say, "C'mon."

"Aye!" Inoue said cheerfully, saluting even.

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Kuchiki Rukia and Inoue Orihime have been best of friends since childhood. Yes they're opposites but as what others say, 'Opposites attract'—and it's true—not only to couples but to friends as well.

Rukia had happened to meet Orihime on an abandoned doll shop.

Rukia then was supposed to be going back to their house when she heard muffled sniveling a block away from where she was standing.

Curious and all, she followed the direction of the sound.

It was then she discovered Inuoe, crying vulnerably and staring at the sign in front of the shop 'CLOSED.'

"I'd loved their bunny stuffed toys." Rukia said, almost gently, looking glumly at the sign as well.

Orihime perked up, brushing her tears away but more kept falling.

"H-How come I've never seen you inside?"

Rukia shrugged. "Oh, me?" she pointed a finger on herself. "No. I never entered. I just loved seeing them from here."

"It was so fun inside, there were more awesome stuffs around."

"Were you always there?"

She nodded slowly. "My onii-chan and I ran the shop..." her voice trailed off, "We were happy but... but..." she burst into a hard cry again.

Rukia's eyes softened, having a pang of guilt for bringing the subject up, once again. But she didn't know... and so she had to ask... only to find the same answers she had not-too-long-ago. For a seven-year-old she might not know anything in this world but she already knew the pain of loosing someone so without second thoughts, she held her hand then began to shed tears as well.

Orihime blinked her tears. _Why is she crying?_ She thought.

"I know how it feels... loosing someone..." she turned back, feeling a little shy for having someone seeing her shed tears.

Orihime smiled, for the first time that day.

It was all she had wanted: sympathy.

Not prying from the older ones saying: It's all right. Compare to others, your sufferings are nothing.

For Orihime and Rukia, it wasn't weight-lifting, it was infuriating.

It makes them want to (specially Rukia) to spat back at them and say: Yeah? How'd you like the idea of carrying our burdens as yours? It would be great!

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"Oh, I almost forgot!" Orihime exclaimed, snapping her fingers and hitting her head almost gently that made then to stop at their tracks.

"What is it?"

"I have promised the chief administrator a lunch with him!"

Rukia rolled her eyes. "So... you're not going to—"

"Of course not!" she used her sugar-sweet voice, "The chief administrator said he wanted to meet you," Inuoe smiled, "anxiously," she added.

"O-Oh?" Rukia couldn't help a smile. "I sure as hell want to meet him too! Damn. I was looking for him all the time but all I saw was the dammed brat who wasn't listening. That bastard..."

Orihime stifled a giggle.

Rukia raised a brow. "What? Like you're still not use to my kind of—"

"Wow Kuchiki. You sure talk like a 'moral' guidance councilor," he said, almost sarcastic.

"G-Guidance councilor?!" she gritted her teeth but it soon stopped when a tall figure towered over hers, making her tentatively lift her head heavenwards.

She expressed a shock of horror as soon as she saw the man in front of her.

"Rukia-chan, meet our chief administrator."

Rukia's face grew in much more horror than before whilst the administrator grinned cockily and darkly, completely pleased at the expression on her face.

"I've finally met you, Kuchiki Rukia," a sinister smile crept on the administrator's face.

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**A/N: **Phew... What do you think? That end seems pretty obvious... Anyways, sorry but I'm using a Christian theme—but not that much. Sorry if you think it sucks but it's part of the dare. I need money here...! I'm sooo poor!!!

**WARNING: DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANNA GET SPOILED.  
**The latest manga of bleach inspired me to write...! Rukia is back!!! Yahheeeeyyy!!! And IchixRuki is back as well...! I'm so happy!!! (dances all around)


	2. Rain

**Stained Cross**

**-Chapter II: Rain-**

**A/N:** The first chapter turned out the way I wanted to... I think... the ending wasn't 'that' obvious, was it? Again, characters might be OOC, and after reading, you could always review. ;)

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Rukia brushed her trembling fingers on her teacup—avoiding any eye contact.

The three of them: the chief administrator, Rukia's best friend, and Rukia herself, were sitting inside a teahouse, failing miserably to know what was the named teahouse.

She wasn't even a tad concerned on a 'trivial' thing like that and her vision was kind of blurry because of discomfiture, rage and skepticism. All of these muddled her emotions gravely that she even couldn't identify those named reasons.

She couldn't believe what fate had twisted her. She was damned and she knew it.

Realizing that she was looking trough the glass window for quite a long time, she groaned harshly and rested her chin on her palm. She was about to go to trance again but she caught herself just in time, imbibing the whole cup of once-hot-tea.

Funnily, though, she didn't even notice the thing about her tea.

_Was this... iced tea?_

She couldn't believe it...

She wouldn't believe it...

She was... humiliated...!

"Rukia-san, are you alright?" Inuoe asked worryingly, placing a hand on her shoulder to provide some comfort (if ever Rukia needed it) whilst Rukia suppressed a flabbergasted look, taking time to register what was Inuoe's question—for she was looking quizzically at her, expecting a reply.

"U-Uh..." she rolled her eyes edgily, "Yes," she replied unsurely.

Inuoe dropped her hand from Rukia's shoulder, bringing it to her healthy bosoms, "Thank goodness. You were spacing out, you know?" she said, a smile plastered on her face.

"I guess so," Rukia groaned inwardly at the inanity of her reply. She sounded so stupid. Blame it all to the guy who was sitting across her. As she thought of this, she gave a sharp glare to the one sipping his tea almost adroitly while scanning the contents of his cell phone. Her eyes squinted in disgust at the sight. It was then when she caught in surprised—half-swallowing a gasp—when a pair of auburn brown eyes looked up to meet hers.

He smirked, having a feeling that he knew why, so, he decided to stir her up more.

"Want more tea, Kuchiki?" he taunted in a way that she would be the only one who would understand.

She cursed, loud enough for him to hear, "You know," she tried to sound casual, flicking her cup with irritation as if it was someone whom she loathed, "You gave me a bad impression, Kurosaki-_dono_,"

He recoiled slightly at her blunt retort and the way she drawled the 'dono' part but he was able to get over it, giving her a comeback he presumed that would annoy hell a lot of her. After all, she humiliated him too.

"I blend unusually nice with the students," he said, having a sadistic yet satisfied smirk on his face... and much to his pleasure, getting the reaction he desired.

They were busy exchanging glares when it was interrupted by a 'children song' ring tone—it was Inuoe's.

Distracted, but not annoyed at the sound, the two gave her a look that made her answer her phone right away.

"Hello?" she said meekly, excusing herself for a while... not that she could fully relate to the conversation between her best friend and 'their' chief.

"Is that so?" a slight frown came across her face, "Well okay, just wait right there," she paused to wait for a reply.

"Bye," she finished, clicking the call off and started to look at them apologetically.

"I'm sorry but I have to go. I have some important matters to attend to," she said in a hurry as she began scuffling her things back to where it should belong. At the time she was finished, Inuoe stood up, consequently followed by Rukia.

"There's no reason for me to stay then," Rukia said, instantly feeling a pang of regret that made her hesitate but didn't pause her actions. There was something about the guy that she couldn't explain—and she wanted a little payback for what he did to her, she quickly added, after thinking that the first few thoughts were intoxicated with clichéd scenes on televisions and movies.

She shuddered in disgust, knowing that those scenes would likely appear on a romantic picture.

_Like I'm attracted to him...!_

_A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y N-O-!_

_I just find him kind of strange, that's all. I'm just curious. Just plain curiosity. There's nothing to be alarmed at... I'm not alarmed at the first place..._

"Rukia-san?"

She jerked snapping herself out her reverie, "Are you coming?"

"Y-Yes!" she said, sliding herself out of the table, half-hoping that a hand would stop her... and it did.

The contact made her grin, flinging her head to him as she feigned a puzzled look.

He let it go, scratching his cheek lightly with his index finger.

"We have some matters to discuss too, Kuchiki,"

Inuoe stared at them for a while. Hesitant whether to leave or not to leave, but seeing her best friend settle back to her seat with her trying-to-look-annoyed face, she said her last goodbye and skirted out. She didn't know what was going on. Though she couldn't bring the subject up that time, she knew she could ask her some other time—when they were alone.

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"Aren't you gonna order something? We'll be talking for quite a long time," Ichigo asked, with two of them at the opposite sides of the square wooden table.

Rukia had eventually adjusted to the atmosphere caused by him. She was hungry, yes, but the reason why she had just ordered a cup of tea a while ago was because he offered to food the bill (like a normal gentleman does) and because of their damned, cursed, unfortunate, rueful, etc., first meeting—first impressions, she wouldn't let herself be humiliated again.

But things had changed... since the last thirty-two minutes forty-nine seconds and four milliseconds. She could almost sense 'revenge' at the tip of her tongue.

She had a sly smile as she unfolded the 'carte du jour'. She pretended that she was conjecturing what to order... or rather she was thinking what to order first.

She began ordering almost every chow listed on it. And when she was finished, she leisurely closed the regally bedecked 'carte du jour' to reveal the dumbstruck expression of Ichigo.

"You'll foot it, right?"

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"Wow... really... I wonder if my HORRORscope for today says that 'this' is the unluckiest day of my life," she grumbled, watching the big herd of raindrops and listening to the deafening sounds made by it.

"I should have watched TV for weather updates..." she regretted ruefully, waiting the rain to come to stop, cursing every tick of her watch.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

A voice, which she instantly recognized, said, making her already darkened mood, darker.

"Can't you tell?"

"I can. Except that I wanted to test your reaction,"

She resisted the urge of turning back to meet his gaze, "Well, I hope I failed,"

He took a step forward to place himself next to her.

Silence.

He let out an umbrella out, much to Rukia's surprise—and horror!—especially when he took another step forward in to the rain.

Silence.

"What!" a cultured anger came from Ichigo, he was now facing Rukia with an eyebrow quirked in question, "Do you want to stay here or not?"

Rukia resisted the urge to join him. She played the part of a stubborn girl, "I'm afraid I can't, your umbrella is small for two persons,"

"Stop being so freaking conceited, c'mon," he said, tugging her hand.

She eventually gave in. She didn't want to stay under the rain, waiting for it to stop. The clouds were still dark, meaning the rain wouldn't stop anytime sooner.

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"The umbrella is with me, you know," Ichigo remarked, out of irritation. It was because Rukia was walking ahead of him, while him was catching up with her in purpose that she wouldn't get wet. It made him look like he was her personal assistant. To think he was her chief!

"Hey," he tried to get her attention but failed miserably... she refused to acknowledge him. She was ignoring him, it was clear to him, but he wouldn't stop.

He brought his hand on his chin, in deep thought. Just as then he was about to call her attention once again by saying her name, a set of different words came out as he saw a car dashing almost at Rukia's direction.

"Rukia, move!" he shouted, pulling her to his direction harshly.

Rukia perked up at him in surprised, still in the state of shock, taking time to absorb what had just happened.

"What the hell did you think you were doing!" he said, he almost sounded that he was scolding her.

Rukia flushed indignantly at the blunder she had caused—and maybe also because of the proximity. She could somewhat feel his breath fanning her cheek.

Realizing her situation, she instantly pulled away from him, hiding her blush as best as she could. What was worse was that they were both soaked under the rain.

"Tsk... look what you've done!" Ichigo said crossly, stretching the fabric of his clothing.

Rukia felt a little guilty so she retorted him with a glare in order for him not to notice it, "I'm wet too, as you can see, complain if you see me dry," she said hugging herself.

"Wow, Kuchiki, is that how you say thanks? I'm touched," he retorted scathingly, subsequently picking up his fallen umbrella.

Her hugging of herself turned to folding her arms, juggling her memory to find a way to retort, "Kuchiki you say?" a sly smile crept, "If I remember it correctly, you call me Rukia a while ago,"

Ichigo swallowed in discomfort, "T-Then you remembered wrong,"

She smiled more, taking a step forward, "And the fact that you're lying means that part is true, and you're embarrassed at it,"

"Sh-Shut up, what are you implying? It's just a normal slip-of-the-tongue, I didn't even remember it," he said, begging to grin like her, "Or did it bring you pleasure that you even remember it?"

Rukia clenched her firsts to her side, "Why you... I just remembered it because it disgusted me a lot!"

They began staring at each other until they were both satisfied.

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The rain poured harder that made Ichigo grab Rukia's wrist.

"O-Oi! Wha-What's the big idea, bastard?"

He didn't stop. He didn't look. "Shut up, don't you wanna dry yourself?"

She pried his hand away, "Where?"

"Our house is nearby, a fifteen-minute walk,"

_Fifteen-minute...? Nearby?_

"You're taking me to your house?"

He raised a brow, "Don't get any stupid ideas. If you wanna freeze here, then fine,"

_This is bad... I have no choice... my house is a bus-ride away._

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Rukia sweatdropped.

What a curious house she was in—no... what a curious bunch of people this house has! Father kicking his son, son kicking back his father, twins that seemed opposites and a large poster of a beautiful lady.

"Ah! A girl!" his father exclaimed, pointing a finger at Rukia that made her took a step backward in defense.

"Tell me if what I'm seeing is true!" his father added dramatically, squeezing Ichigo's shoulder tightly. His eyes started to glimmer in hope, "Is she your girlfriend?"

Ichigo let out a disgusted look, feeling Rukia's stare boring his back as well.

"What the hell, old man, OF COURSE she's NOT!"

"Then what's a pretty girl doing here?" his father retorted, planning to catch him by making him slip his tongue off.

Unfortunately, his son wasn't hiding something.

"Can't you see that WE're wet? We need to dry ourselves,"

"Oh," his face turned serious, scrutinizing them. He made a way for them to pass and Ichigo managed to get trough without breaking a bone.

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Ichigo threw a towel rather harshly at her. She glared sharply at him as a reply, then to the towel.

She smoothed the soft and thick fabric of it, and by doing so, she felt tempted on getting it on her face and hair, doing it with less rush she had intended (she wanted to make him know how much he annoyed her).

"So," Rukia peeked from the towel, "What's your name?" Ichigo's father continued with a goofy smile.

Rukia blinked, half-surprised, "Kuchiki Rukia, sir," she said, offering a hand to shake.

His father smiled wider, pleased at the courtesy she was showing, "Kurosaki Isshin, but you can call me 'daddy'."

Rukia sweatdropped, making no response but a soft smile.

Seeing her quiet, Isshin took a step forward, preparing to strike another question.

"When did you two meet?"

Rukia let out a sheepish look. How the hell could she tell him that they've just met? Imagine, he had already 'brought' her to his house! She could sense that his family would get the wrong idea. It would be a surprise and shock—or even horrifying—to them, she presumed, seeing how they ogle at her in awe at her first step in the house.

What's the big deal?

She wouldn't want to know.

Or maybe she has an idea but she wouldn't entertain such 'stupid' and 'mutinous' thoughts.

"Are you okay?" she was brought back from her trance with a light squeeze on her shoulders.

"Y-Yeah," she croaked.

"Well dinner is served anytime now, I'll tell Yuzu to let you borrow one of her clothes for the whole night,"

She was glad that he didn't press the question, "Thank you for your kindness," she placed a sugary sweet voice over her husky one.

And she let herself be guided by Isshin to Yuzu... so... she...

"Wait..." she stopped at her tracks, "t-t-the whole night?"

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End file.
